lower control arms replacement cost

[blizake500]

How much should a shop charge me to install my lower control arms? I would do it myself but I'm currently in school and have no tools.

[Skoobeesnak]

I was quoted around $500 from what I remember so I just did it myself. It really wasn't too bad but I have my own garage and tools.

[THEhomelessONE]

Also, don't let them order aftermarket crap. Mine went bad in about a year, stick to Lemforder.

[RedReplicant]

I think buying the tools to do it would be cheaper. You need, what, a socket set, a $15 pickle fork, a hammer, and a jackstand? Get some offset control arm bushings that are urethane and add a hacksaw / chisel to your list. It can be a pain to get the FCAB off of the control arm so just rip the thing out, cut through the metal liner that sits in the lollipop with your hacksaw, and hammer the chisel in the gap, comes right out. The urethane bushings just need a hammer to get in and the control arm slides right in.

[toddness]

What happens with the upper control arm?

[Navarone]

lower control arms replacement cost

There isn't an upper control arm, the spindle is mounted right to the strut.

I didn't use a pickle fork, just take a really good whack at the control arm with a hammer and the ball joint should pop right out of the spindle and subframe. If it's all rusted in then maybe you'll have some trouble, but I live in California, the land that rust forgot. You'll need to press in the new control arm bushing and ball joints unless you get it all prepacked. I bought just new cabs and outer ball joint and had a hell of a time with the shop press getting them in and out. Even with a shop full of tools it took me a day with no instructions and no experience. $500 seems fair if they have to press in all the parts. If it's just whack out the old slam in the new, with a car lift, not on the ground like us, I think it could be a 2-3 hour job max.

[estoguy]

500 sounds about right, with parts and labour.

I'm going to do this job sometime soon. I got lucky and got a spare set of arms, and new solid CABs from a guy in Toronto for $30. Going to press out the old BJs and put in new ones. Lucky me, I'm a high school substitute teacher and know some of the auto shop teachers out there. :)

[jeffnhiscars]

With the cost of ball joints and paying to have them changed (or even doing it yourself) it makes zero sense to re use a CA when you can buy Lemforders for under $100/side.

[estoguy]

I can get the BJs for $29 each (Lemforder), so basically $60 a side. Whole arm with joints in is $120. Since getting them pressed out and in will cost me nothing, I'll keep the extra $120 in my pocket.

[jeffnhiscars]

Of the 3 sets I've bought in the last couple of years I've paid as little as $76/ CA and never more than $90. Even if I owned a press Not sure I'd want to reuse a 30 yopiece of highly stressed steel

[Navarone]

When was the last time you heard of a control arm breaking?

I think I paid $20 for a moog ball joint and it was only a little annoying pressing them in and out, not undoable. For that price it's a no-brainer.

[jeffnhiscars]

Never....but they bend all the time.

Each to his own. There is no right as long as long as it's safe.

[Navarone]

From normal driving?

Yeah, to each his own. No biggie.

[Mr. Tasty]

Whenever I get a chance, I will replace 25 year old stressed/corroded metal parts with nice clean ones. To each their own I suppose.

[jeffnhiscars]

From normal driving?

Yeah, to each his own. No biggie.

They can bend from hitting a curb hard enough, a pothole, accident or extremely aggressive driving. If you are certain that your 25yo car has never experienced any of these then maybe they are ok.